Huge Fire Breaks Out at South of Durban Factory, No Reported Injuries

• A massive fire at a resin factory in the South of Durban broke out in the early hours of Wednesday morning
• Firefighters, paramedic personnel as well as members of the South African Police Services were on the scene to manage the flames
• No causalities have been reported yet and according to the eThekwini Fire and Emergency Services, the fire is under control

DURBAN -In the early hours of Wednesday morning, a huge fire broke out at a chemical manufacturing plant in the South of Durban.

According to a report by SABC News, the plant produces a highly combustible chemical called resin which can be used in varnish or adhesive production.

ALS Paramedics through their Twitter page informed people to avoid the factory in Balfour road as officials worked to try and calm down the flames.

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Rowan Scandroglio, spokesperson for ALS Paramedics, says they have not been able to determine what the cause of the fire is yet but that they have not yet identified any injuries due to the fire, according to a report by IOL.

“Paramedics together with the eThekwini Fire Department and SAPS are currently at the scene of a large factory fire on Balfour Road in the Jacobs area," said Scandroglio.

Several fire-fighters and water trucks were on the scene attempting to extinguish the blaze. Regional Commander of eThekwini Fire and Emergency Services Zibuse Ngcece confirmed that the fire was put out by officials who were actively working to cool down hotspots.

Toxic chemicals from burned down warehouse reportedly poisoning Durban beaches and rivers after unrest

Briefly News previously reported that a warehouse fire at United Phosphorus Limited in Durban during the unrest in July has led to the spillage of toxic chemicals into Durban's rivers, beaches and the air.

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According to East Coast Radio, United Phosphorus Limited is the largest chemical company in the world. It has been revealed that the company is refusing to disclose the exact chemicals that are currently polluting the environment.

The warehouse fire resulted in a huge explosion. This led to toxic smoke being released into the air and large amounts of undisclosed toxic chemicals being spilled into the oceans, rivers and beaches.

Initially, the company would not take responsibility for the pollution caused by the chemical spill, stating that it is not yet clear how much of the pollution can be attributed to them.

Source: Briefly News